


Call It Fate

by SheilaWolfe



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-23
Updated: 2013-10-12
Packaged: 2017-11-22 02:31:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheilaWolfe/pseuds/SheilaWolfe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sadie James, a transfer student from America, runs in a strange boy named Yugi Muto, she and her new friends must unveil the secret behind a mysterious bracelet and how it all ties into Yami Yugi's past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Prologue

“Morning everyone!” Dr. Seth Evans called cheerfully to a group of men in the middle of an excavation. “What have we found this morning?”

A nearby worker filled him in. “Well, we think it’s the ruins of an ancient temple of sorts. The floor has a huge hole in it, though. The whole thing collapsed on top of it. Took all morning to dig out.”

Dr. Evans nodded and put his hat over his brown hair. The day was starting to get hot. Not that it wasn’t always hot in Egypt. “Probably just a branch from the palace. Might be interesting, though.”

The palace itself had been discovered a few weeks back by a girl walking along the river. Who knows how long it was buried under a blanket of sand only to be revealed by a windstorm. The team uncovered some of it and dated it back to almost 5,000 years ago. Inside, though, there wasn’t much to explore. The newly discovered temple held some promise though.

“I’ll go down and have a look around,” he declared, grabbing a rope and flashlight. The others just nodded, not to eager to descend into the gaping black pit. It gave most of the men an eerie feeling.

Dr. Evans was the newest member for their dig and was eager to discover something good. He had only just gotten his degree and was put in charge to get some experience in the field. Where some saw him as enthusiastic, others saw him foolish.

With a careful propel, he went over the edge and was swallowed up by the shadows. He slid down the rope about twenty feet before he touched the ground. Flipping his flashlight on, he tried to look around, but the beam didn’t penetrate the black veil more than a foot in front of him.

“See anything?” someone called down, worried by the young doctor’s silence.

“Not yet!” he called back, taking a step out of the column of light filtering from the hole above. He wandered in the dark, stumbling over loose stones and sand. Then a twinkle caught his dark eyes from the far corner of the room. Curious, he approached.

It was a golden staff. The ancient object laid half buried in the sand, forgotten for 5,000 years. When Seth approached, he saw the beautifully designed cobra curled around, resting it’s head on the top. Balanced on its brow was a gleaming red ruby, no bigger than his palm. It looked in great condition despite its age.

He reached for it gingerly, afraid its looks might deceive how fragile it really was, and lifted it from its sandy resting place. Suddenly in a flash of light, a voice in his head commanded him to sleep. So he did.

...

“Hey Seth! You alright down there?” Everyone exchanged worried whispers at the silence. “Alright, I’m going down to check on him,” he told one another worker, but a voice below stopped them.

“I am alright. Just got a little lost in the dark.” Dr. Evans was standing just outside the pool of light below. The workers gave a sigh of relief, glad that they didn’t have an accident on their hands.

“Anything down there?” one asked curiously. Seth just shook his head.

“No. I will keep looking, though.” With that, he disappeared back into the shadows. The other workers, not sure what to do, decided to take a small break and wait for their boss.

Down below, Dr. Seth Evans wasn’t Dr. Seth Evans. “Not my preferred form of choice, but it will do for now,” he commented dryly in a voice not his own. With a look around the room, his face coiled in anger, also not his own. “I must have been discovered last, but the others may not have been released yet. No matter. I will find them soon enough and that little wench shall pay dearly.”

Waving a hand, the staff against the wall flew to him and shrunk to fit in his pocket. With a casual air, the Dr. Evans imposter walked back to the light.

“Let me up. There is nothing down here accept sand and rocks.” The workers pulled him back to the surface quickly, eager to get a break. “You are dismissed,” he said with a dignified air as he walked away, leaving the others confused.

“That’s a new one. Ever been ‘dismissed’ before, Earl?” one worker asked.

“Nope! Must be the heat. I swear he gets stranger by the day. But hey! If it gets us a day off, I’m not complaining.” With that, the two workers headed back to their tents to sleep the hottest hours of the day away.

...

The possessed Seth Evans wondered for a while until he finally found a tent with odd glowing boxes, books, and other unrecognizable scientific objects.

“I must have been locked away longer than I thought. Maybe something in here can be of use to me.”

Drawing the staff out and stretching it to its original size, the impersonator waved a spell at the books in the corner. They levitated off the shelves and started to flip through their pages. One stopped in mid turn after a moment and flew to the magician. The others dropped to the floor, obsolete.

“Hidden tomb? Cursed treasure?” he read out loud, “That sounds promising.” On the next page was a picture of a small gold box with an eye on the front.

“Hmm…‘found in main chamber’…‘said to be cursed’…‘many mysterious deaths’…‘currently resides in Japan’… That sounds promising indeed. Perhaps I had better start in this ‘Japan’ then.”

As he was about to set down the book, a smaller picture below caught his attention; a gold bracelet in the shape of an eye. “‘Found in a secret back room of the tomb, the bracelet and other miscellaneous treasure are kept in the museum-’ so that is where you hid yourself. You were always good at that. Do not worry, though, I will be sure to find you.”

“Excuse me?” a voice behind Seth asked. He hid the staff and turned to see an older man wander into the tent. “I don’t mind if you look at my stuff, Doctor, but please don’t abuse my poor books. Were you looking for something?” 

“I was just wanting to look through this,” Seth answered, gesturing to the book on the table. The older man gave him a scrutinizing look and scanned the room.

“Well, I’d say you tore the place apart looking for it. What a mess.” He picked up some of the books off the floor, and then seemed to notice the article Seth was talking about. “Oh, so that’s what you were looking for, huh? Interesting case. Heard the bracelet and some other treasures are on some traveling exhibit. Last I heard, it was on its way to China then Japan afterwards. Sure would be nice to see…” The old timer trailed off as he reshelved his books.

“How would I get to Japan?” Seth asked, eyeing the old man.

“Take a plane, I guess. A boat would work, too, but that’s a long trip. The plane is a lot faster.”

“That will do. I will leave immediately.” Seth turned to walk out of the tent.

“What about the dig, Doctor Evans? We still have a lot of work to do and…” the old man stuttered to a halt when he saw the venomous look in the young doctor’s eyes.

“I said immediately,” he repeated slowly and with malice.

“S-s-sure. O-one ticket to Japan. E-earliest possible.”

Satisfied, the possessed man walked outside. “I guess fate is on my side. If I get to Japan at the same time as the exhibit, I can destroy that accursed bracelet and the Pharaoh will finally be all mine. Beware, little Safiya, your days are numbered.”


	2. Chapter 2

1

Early morning sunlight streamed in through a window and across the form of a young girl, fast asleep. She was lying among the mess that may, at one point, have been called her bed. The ‘bed’ itself took up most of the small bedroom, leaving space for a small nightstand nearby. Clothes littered the floor, spilling their way out of a tiny closet.

The only other occupant in the room was her cat, Sanura. The feline at the moment, however, was napping on his master's back, purring in the warm sunlight, content that she never left. Both continued to snooze peacefully when suddenly...

 _BEEP BEEP BEEP_ the alarm on the unsteady nightstand started to screech its protest to their dreaming and brought both of them back to reality. Sanura jumped, displeased, and raced out of the room. He was still unaccustomed to the loud creature that always disrupted his morning cat-nap.

The sleeping girl, now awake, felt almost the same as her kitty, but didn't protest as much. She lifted her arm weakly and tried to feel her way to the snooze button. Instead of hitting it though, the floor hit her. She bolted up right from the shock and looked around, realizing that she had rolled out of bed. _No going back to bed now,_ she thought grimly, smacking the off button with an annoyed _thump_.

She grabbed some clean clothes and slouched her way towards the bathroom. After a quick shower, she dressed and made her way to the kitchen. Sanura was sitting by his food bowl, happy to see his master.

“Mornin’,” she greeted, petting his head. He purred then turned his attention to the food in his bowl.

The girl then proceeded to start her own breakfast by popping some bread in the toaster. While she waited, she wound her purple hair into loose bun and switched on the TV. Nothing was on except uninteresting news; early morning traffic, a new exhibit arriving at the museum, and some bad weather rolling in over the weekend. She slipped on her shoes and clicked off the electric box.

“Okay; bag, shoes…jacket? Oh here.” She slipped it on and glanced at the clock.

“7:45? Oh man! I’m late!” Technically, class didn’t start before eight, but it was her first day and she had a meeting with the principle in five minutes. She needed to pick up her schedule and books; she didn’t even have her uniform yet.

In a panic, she grabbed her bag from the sofa. “C’ya Later!” she called over her shoulder to her confused silver kitten. Snagging her toast-to-go, the girl rushed out the door.

 ...

  
“Morning! It’s nice out today,” Yugi Muto commented when he came downstairs for breakfast. It was a sunny Monday morning with clear blue skies and a nice breeze. “Good thing break’s coming up.”

“What about your finals?” his mother asked at the table.

“Don’t remind me,” he said gloomily. Tests weren’t exactly Yugi’s forte and he wasn’t thrilled to take more soon.

“At least you have a field trip coming up. That should get you’re mind off those test,” his grandpa put in, but a nudge from Mrs. Muto made him go back to reading the paper.

“Oh yeah, the exhibit was supposed to arrive today. It should be fun.”

“Yugi,” his mom scolded, pointed at the clock. “You’re going to be late again.”

“Oops, better run. Bye mom! Bye grandpa!” and with that, he scurried out the door and towards the school.

Yugi made it to the front gates and was nearing the school building when he heard some commotion coming from behind him. Curious, he turned to look just as someone ran into him and knocked him to the ground.

When he tried to sit up, he realized that he was not the only one who had hit the dirt. A strange girl had fallen also and landed right on top of him. She sat up, shaking her head, and looked at him. He instantly blushed under her gaze; not to mention his position. She instantly jumped back to let him up. Her face illustrated her horror…and embarrassment.

“I am _so_ sorry!” she exclaimed, blushing a bright red. “Are you okay?”

Yugi nodded, trying to hide his blush and also trying to figure out where she had come from. He didn’t remember ever seeing her at school before. She was a pretty girl with reddish-purple hair tucked in a messy bun and soft lavender eyes; like his, he noted. She was wearing normal street clothes; but all the students attending Domino High School were required to wear uniforms.

“Are you sure you're okay?” she asked, catching his stare.

He snapped himself out of his thoughts and smiled shyly, his face deepening to an even darker red behind his blond bangs. “Yeah, I'm alright. Are you okay?” he asked, grabbing a page that had flown out of his bag. 

“Oh, I'm alright,” she laughed and grabbed a few papers as well, “I'm really sorry, I was in a hurry and I didn't see you until...well...” she trail off gesturing around them. She snagged the last page and handed it to him, which he returned to his school bag. Yugi stood, offering her his hand.

“Thanks,” she smiled, taking it.

“I'm Yugi Muto,” he said as he brushed off his uniform. “Are you a new student here?” but before the mystery girl had a chance to answer, a more familiar voice called to him.

“Hey Yugi!” He turned to see the owner of the voice waving at the gate. Tea Gardner quickly closed the distance between them. “Who’s your friend?” she asked, examining the new girl with cool blue eyes. She sounded genuinely curious but there was a hidden jealous tone that Yugi didn’t seem to notice. The other girl caught it loud and clear, though. _Off limits, back off._

The mystery girl in question smiled uneasily, taking the hint, and was about to resume introducing herself when the giant clock on the front of the school began to boom loudly. Then she remembered her meeting with the principle that should have started about five minutes earlier.

Snagging her bag off the ground, she gave Yugi one last look. “I have to go, I’m running really late. Sorry about running you over, Yugi. It was nice meeting you,” she called. She gave Tea a quick glance that was returned with a forced smile, before racing up the stairs and disappearing inside the doors.

Yugi was still confused as Tea tucked a strand of brown hair behind one ear. “What was all that about?” she wondered out loud. “I've never seen her around before. She a new girl? What's her name?” she asked Yugi, dragging him back to Earth. 

“I'm not sure,” he said suddenly, sounding surprised. “I never got to ask her.” He scratched his spiky red and black hair nervously and turned to Tea. “We'd better get to class. Wouldn't want to be late,” and with that they followed the strange girl into the building to start the school day.

...

As for Yugi’s 'mystery girl’, she barely made it on time to her meeting with the principle. She was given a uniform to change into and a locker to store her effects. Then she was treated to a grand tour of the entire school. It was huge. After taking two flights of stairs and turning down a few corridors, she was completely lost. Finding an exit would be a miracle.

Her bag felt like it weighted fifty pounds, now burdened by her school books and a schedule that was supposed to help her make it through her first day; she doubted it would help. The principle was walking ahead, pointing out rooms here and there, but, after a while, the new girl tuned out, unable to keep up. Letting her mind wander, she was taken back to her encounter with the boy named Yugi.

She remembered he had an innocent look in his child-like eyes and he was really friendly even after she had run into him. The girl hoped she would see him again. _He was a really nice guy._

“Now Miss James,” said the principle in a soft but clipped voice that caught the new girl’s attention, “this is your home room. You will report here every morning and from there you will follow your schedule. If you need any help, ask one of the teachers or students; they should be happy to oblige.” 

They stopped next to a classroom door where the sounds of teens causing chaos and a teacher trying, but failing, to keep order could be heard. “Don't be nervous,” the principle encouraged with a smile. “I'm sure you will make some new friends instantly.” She patted her shoulder reassuringly then knocked on the door.

...

Class was about to get started…sort of. Students were socializing and causing havoc while Mr. Vern tried to get everyone to take their seats so he could get his lesson started. Then a sharp knock came at the door. Everyone went silent and took their seats quickly. The teacher made his way sheepishly to the door and disappeared into the hallway. 

During their wait, Yugi’s friend, Joey Wheeler, leaned across the aisle to whisper to Yugi, “So I heard that you had a little run in with a girl this morning Yug,” he said sneakily.

“Yeah,” Yugi answered innocently, trying to hide his blush. “She ran into me on accident and apologized. She seemed nice. I think she may be a new student.”

“Was she hot?” the blond asked eagerly. Excitement showed in his brown eyes of even the possibility of a ‘hot’ new girl. He even momentarily forgot about his ‘accident’ comment.

Yugi blushed deeper. “She was pretty cute, I guess...” he trailed off. “I didn't get to find out her name, though,” he added a little disappointed. 

Joey just laughed, “Yeah? Well she must have been pretty hot if Tea was getting steamed up over it. She ranting that you had your eyes all over her. Nearly drove me insane,” he concluded, leaning back in his chair.

If Yugi could have blushed any more, he probably would have exploded. “That’s not true!” he exclaimed a little loudly, but thankfully the attention of the class was redirected by the sudden opening of the door. 

A girl walked in, carefully watching the floor and clutching her school bag, followed by Mr. Vern. Yugi recognized the mystery girl from this morning only this time she was dressed in the usual girl's uniform; and looking quite good in it too. _So she_ is _a new student, and_ this _is her class_ , he thought, unable to believe his stroke of luck.

The teacher cleared his throat and addressed the class while the new girl just flushed a light shade of pink. “Class, today we have a new student. Let me introduce Sadie James.”

 _Sadie_ , Yugi thought to himself, _at least now I know her name_. He was watching her intently when she looked up and met his eyes. She seemed surprised but gave a timid smile. He smiled back and felt his face grow hot all over again.

“She just recently transferred from America. Please make her feel welcome.” he concluded with a look in her direction. “You can take the empty seat next to Mr. Bakura if you like, Miss James.” he gestured to the empty desk between two boys; one fair-haired, the other brunette. Sadie nodded and walked quickly to her desk while Mr. Vern finally started his lesson.


	3. Chapter 3

2

Sadie took her seat, not wanting to be the center of attention. The room continued to watch at her, though, as Mr. Vern lectured on. No one noticed. She tried to pay attention, but the pressure was too much. Instead, she glanced around and observed her new classmates.

Sadie first caught Yugi watching her. When their purple eyes met, he instantly looked down at his desk, turning pink. She hid a giggle, relieved he recognized her and wasn’t upset over the morning’s shenanigans; he actually glad to see her.

A blond boy with bushy bangs leaned over the aisle and whispered something to Yugi, making him blush deeper. It was Sadie’s turn to redden as she turned away and glanced at her neighbors.

The boy on her right side was the only person not staring her down; he was ignoring her completely. He was a tall boy with brown hair and cold, blue eyes that made Sadie shiver. She shifted her gaze. He was probably the last person to try and make friends with her. She also made a mental note not get on his bad side.

The boy on her left, Bakura, seemed like a friendlier fellow. He had long white hair and brilliant green eyes that held a sweet expression. Sadie was watching him when he looked up. She blushed and was about to look away when he gave her a kind smile. Sadie smiled back timidly. It was a nice change from the usual whispers and stares.

_Maybe I’ll have a chance to talk to him after class,_ she thought hopefully.

“Mr. Bakura, perhaps you can answer the question,” Mr. Vern called, ending their little greeting. Sadie felt guilt; she hadn’t been paying attention either.

“Well, Mr. Bakura?” He pointed to the board. Bakura looked towards the board, studied it for about two seconds and, without missing a beat, gave an answered. Mr. Vern turned back to his board.

“That’s correct,” he muttered before continuing.

Sadie was amazed and noted his English accent. _Maybe he’s an exchange student like me. That’s probably why he was being so nice,_ she thought. _And after getting him in trouble with the teacher, he probably won’t want to talk to me,_ she concluded glumly.

She risked a glance at him. Bakura met her gaze, still smiling as nicely as ever. _I guess he still wants to be nice to me._ Sadie smiled back apologetically and mouthed _sorry_. Before she could get an answer, the lunch bell rang and the true horror began…

...

Everyone jumped up and started to talk all at once. Some went out the door to buy their lunches while some came in carrying bags, looking for their friends. A majority of the class swarmed towards Sadie before she had a chance to stand up. She could barely understand the flood of questions.

“Want to eat lunch with us?”

“That is so cool that you’re from America! What’s it like there?”

“Can I touch your hair?”

“Remember to read chapter thirteen tonight for homework!”

“Do you have a lunch? I can buy one for you if you like.”

“Is Sadie really your name or is it short for something?”

“Say something! We want to hear your accent!”

She tried to keep up and make sense of what they were saying, but it was all a blur. Sadie looked around for Yugi or Bakura. Unfortunately, they had vanished in the horde. Sadie was forced to excuse herself from the questioning mob and fled to the hall.

With no money or lunch, she decided to hide out in one of the many deserted classrooms. A few were already occupied, but she found one at the end of the hall that was vacant. Sadie settled in a chair near the window. _Not so bad for a first day._

She counted birds that flew by and dreamed of her parents in America. It was nice in Japan but it would be awhile till it truly felt like home. She gave a little sigh letting her mind wander.

The bell rang too soon, forcing her to make her way back to class. She ignored any stares and chose, instead, to watch the clock above the board. The teacher walked in a few minutes after the bell and afternoon classes began.

...

The next two classes took forever. Bakura was only in the first class with her and Yugi and his blond friend were nowhere to be seen. It didn’t hurt that she was still sitting next to the creepy guy who seemed angry at the world. Her purple hair made a good curtain to hide from his mean look.

After taking notes and getting homework, the third class was dismissed. Sadie stood and packed up her stuff. Next class was P.E., her least favorite subject. Sadie was a tomboy but not athletic. Working out was not something the girl enjoyed.

She grimly shuffled down the hall. _Dead man walking,_ she thought darkly as she tried but failed to find her way towards her own death sentence. After a few minutes, she found herself going in circles. She glanced around, desperate to ask directions, and saw a guy headed toward her down the hall.

“Excuse me! I’m trying to find the gyms, could you…” she trailed off when she saw the icy blue eyes. She froze; it was the boy from her class that gave her the willies. _Of all the people to run into._ Sadie was about to apologize and take off running, but he walked over and studied her schedule. He was so tall he had to lean over to see the piece of paper. Sadie felt even more intimidated by him, if the was even possible.

“Down the hallway, take a left, follow the stairs and you should see it on the right,” he said without looking up. Sadie stood unmoving until he looked up at her with an annoyed expression. “You had better hurry if you want to make it on time,” he hinted. She snapped out of it and put her schedule in her bag.

“Thanks, I’m Sadie by the way,” she said, holding out her hand. He might have been scary but at least he was kind enough to help her out. She might as well try to be nice to him.

"Don’t mention it,” he said briskly, taking his leave down the hallway. Sadie lowered her hand, not surprised but still a little stung. She sighed. _Jeez, what a jerk. Oh well. At least he helped._

She followed his instructions and, sure enough, found the gyms at the bottom of the stairs. The bell rang as she walked through the doors. Other girls were in the locker room; none of them looked too friendly. Sadie chose a locker nearby but kept to herself.

...

The gym teacher took pity on Sadie since it was her first day. He let her watch the other kids play basketball. Sadie instantly liked him, but that feeling was changed some when she was told about the physical tests coming up. An hour passed and everyone was excused to get dressed.

After leaving the locker room and finding her last boring class, Sadie tracked her way back to the main lockers. She bagged street clothes, switched her shoes, and walked out into the warm sunlight and cool breeze. Clouds were rolling in, looking dark and menacing. The forecast had mentioned afternoon showers.

A thrive of people pushed their way through the gates with Sadie stuck in the middle. Just in front of her was a familiar head of white hair. It was Bakura, the nice British kid. She considered going to talk to him, but decided against it. He was headed towards the apartments, but she had errands to run before she went home.

“I can always talk to him tomorrow,” she supposed. She thought for a minute about a little corner store she had seen around town. Hoping she had enough money to buy some decent food, she walked to the store. “I better get home before it rains.”

...

“Come on,” Sadie fidgeted with her door, trying to get it open. “Maybe I shouldn’t have locked it.” Balanced in both arms were bags of groceries. She hoped it would be enough to last her about a week. It had started raining on her way home so she was just about soaked when she entered the complex.

“Maybe I should have taken that clerk’s offer,” she thought. It wasn’t that far away and she didn’t think she would need help carrying the bags. “I’m home,” she called, looking around for her cat.

She took off her shoes, unpacked the groceries into the fridge, and grabbed a yogurt to snack on. “Sanura? Where are you boy?”

Suddenly, a silver and black spotted ball of fur ambushed her from the couch. It landed on her shoulder, causing Sadie to jump.

“Jeez!” she sighed as she got over her mini heart attack. Sanura was purring and rubbing her face with his head, happy to have his master home. The girl considered yelling at him, but he was too adorable. In the end, all she could do was pet him.

“You are such a bad boy,” she said playfully, plopping down on the sofa. She started her homework while her kitty snoozed in her lap.

Night came as Sadie gazed out her window. It was well hours past sunset and the night looked spectacular. The stars were twinkling brightly and the moon was a silver crescent. Its pale light flowed into the room and Sadie could just gaze happily at the magnificent view. Four flights of stairs were worth it.

She pulled herself away and lay down in her welcoming bed. Sanura jumped up next to her and fell asleep in the crook of her arm. “You know? Today wasn’t too bad. I met some nice people,” she told her sleeping kitten. Sadie took one last look out the window. She stared for a moment into the shady, moonlit night before closing her eyes and letting the darkness claim her.


	4. Chapter 4

3

On her fourth morning, a light mist swirled through the early morning air, forecasting bad weather to come. She shivered and glared crossly at her short skirt and, once again, wishing for long pants.

“Guess the weatherman was right, for once.” She jogged down the sidewalk and made it to school with time to spare.

In Sadie’s first three days, most people had stopped staring at her and things started to become normal. She struggled to finish her homework every night and hated gym with a burning passion. She even managed to learn her way around the school, but occasionally did get lost from time to time.

Sadie hadn’t had a chance to speak to Yugi or Bakura and was sure that they thought she was ignoring them. They probably wouldn’t want to be friends anymore anyways.

As she fished her pencil from the bottom of her bag, the teacher walked into the room. Everyone scattered to their seats and sat down, wishing he had been a little later.

“Okay class, I have a few quick announcements. First, I have your final reviews here,” he gestured to the stack of papers on his desk. Groans filled the room.  “Also, the field trip to the museum will be next week on Monday,” he raised his hands against the crescendo of whoops and shouts of joy.

“Alright, quiet down. Now you will still have to complete your reviews and study for your exams. Don’t forget!” He finished on this cheery note by picking up the papers and proceeded to hand them out.

Sadie glanced down at the evil paper when it was placed on her desk. Everything on the sheet was so complicated. A grimace crossed her face despite the announcement of their up coming field trip. At least summer break would help her prepare for next year. With a miserable sigh, Sadie picked up her pencil and looked busy while her mind wandered.

 ...

During lunch, Sadie had taken up permanent residents in the same empty classroom. So far, no one had bothered her. This suited her just fine, even if she got a little lonely. Four days of school and she was already wishing for summer.

“Maybe I should have waited to come in the fall,” she thought out loud, but she knew that if she spent the summer in Japan, she would have more time to adjust before her next school year. Even so, having to transfer during the last few weeks of school was difficult.

The upcoming finals weren’t helping either. The reviews were hard and made her panic even more. She could only hope that she would do well with a lot of studying. Sadie hoped that the field trip to the museum would help get her mind off of them.

“Maybe I do need a little stress breaker,” she supposed optimistically. “It should be fun.”

Suddenly, her thoughts scattered as the door opened and a small group with familiar faces walked in holding a variety of lunches. First she noticed Yugi walk in with the brunette from the first morning. Behind them was a small girl with long lilac hair tied with a yellow ribbon. Then came in two tall boys, one blond and one brunette, mock wrestling each other. She recognized the blond as the guy from her class who had whispered to Yugi. Bakura came in last. They were all laughing when they noticed Sadie sitting near the window.

It went silent for a moment before the tall blond boy finally spoke. “Hey, you’re that new girl from class, aren’t ya?” he asked with a heavy Brooklyn accent. He walked over and took her hand, pumping it up and down rapidly. “Sadie right? I’m Joey Wheeler.” He laughed, releasing her hand. He swung one arm around her and steered her towards the rest of the group.

“This here is Tristan,” the boy Joey had been wrestling with earlier nodded, “and this is Miho, his girlfriend,” he pointed to the ribbon girl. Tristan gave him a dirty look, but also blushed a little bit. Miho gave sort of a fan girl squeal and Sadie was squeezed into a hug before she even realized that Miho had moved.

“I’m so glad to meet you!” she gushed. Her voice was high and sweet like a little girl’s. Sadie knew they would be good friends. Miho finally released Sadie from her spontaneous hug and everyone laughed at her confused expression.

“She does that,” the brunette girl explained, stepping forward. “I’m Tea Gardner; we didn’t get of officially meet the other morning.” She and Tea shook hands, but as much as it was friendly it was also made of steel. Sadie hoped she hadn’t offended her by talking to Yugi. The last thing she wanted was an enemy.

Next she was turned towards the white haired boy, Bakura. “I think you might already know Bakura a lil bit,” Joey said. Bakura nodded slightly.

“Yes, but we didn’t do much talk now did we?” he smiled at her. “Ryo Bakura, but most people just call me Bakura.” He took her hand and shook it. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“And I know you already know Yug,” Joey finished, trying not to laugh. Tristan looked at him curiously but Joey gave him a look that seemed to say _I’ll tell ya later._ Tea glowered at the remark, but kept any objections to herself.

Yugi scratched the back of his spiky head, embarrassed, “So, uh, you have anyone to eat lunch with, Sadie? You could eat lunch with us if you like.”

“Oh? Uh…sure! That is, if you don’t mind,” she added.

“Of course not,” Joey said, smacking her lightly on the back.          

Nobody else seemed to mind except Tea, who didn’t like the way this new girl and Yugi were getting along, but she held her peace and gave a weak smile. They took out their lunches, sharing some of the food with Sadie, and finished them off quickly.

Afterwards, they all gathered around some desks in the front and Yugi pulled some cards out of his pocket. “I brought some cards. Maybe we can play some poker.”

Everyone agreed, but not everyone knew how to play. They decided to split into pairs with one person played at a time while other watched, switching players in each game. Yugi was playing with Tea as his support, Tristan was dragged into it as Miho cheered him on, Bakura offered to have Sadie on his team while Joey played on his own. He was the worst player, but stubbornly refused any help.

It was the middle of their fourth game when the bell rang. They all groaned and said their goodbyes as they departed for their next lesson. Bakura and Sadie had the next class together so on the way back, they talked about their school exchanges.

Bakura was originally from England and his transfer would end after they graduated next year, like Sadie. He had considered offering someone else the trip home and staying in Japan, but his mind wasn’t made up yet.

“You can do that?” Sadie asked as they walked into the classroom.

“Yes. If you wished to stay in Japan and someone else wanted to go to England, or in your case America, they could go back in your place. I was rather surprised but I’m still not sure if I want to stay yet.”

Sadie only nodded. She wasn’t sure if she could find any reason to make Japan her new home, either. Sure, she had just made a bunch of new friends but there was a long year ahead of her. Before she could think more on it, the bell rang again, beginning another long hour of lectures.

 ...

 On her way home that day, a familiar voice called from behind her.

“Hey Sadie! Wait up! Oops, I’m sorry!” it called. She turned to see Bakura apologizing to someone he had bumped into. He continued to make is way towards her while she waited.

“Excuse me, sorry,” he repeated to about seven other people before he finally got there. He was out of breath and looking very embarrassed.

“Hey, Bakura. You headed this way?” she asked, trying not to laugh at his awkwardness.

He nodded, still catching his breath, and pointed out the apartment complex in the distance. “Yes…I’m staying…over there…in building B.”

“Really? I’m in building H nearby.”

“They’re nice apartments but I still miss home some of the time.” Bakura continued after catching his breath.

“Me too. At least I have Sanura to keep me company,” she said as they both started walking again.

“Who’s that?” Bakura asked curiously.

“Oh, Sanura is my cat.” Sadie explained.

“That’s nice. I’ve always been more of a cat person.”

“You should come over and meet him some day.” Bakura smiled and gave a little nod.

“Sounds like fun. It’ll be nice to have a friend living nearby. It can get pretty lonely when you live by yourself.”

“Well, they do allow pets. Maybe you should get a goldfish or something,” making them both laugh.

“You know, Joey said we should all hang out at the museum. I was wondering… well we were all wondering if maybe you would like to join our group,” he confessed, giving a bashful smile. Sadie was surprised and nodded quickly.

“Sure, if you don’t mind of course. That sounds like lots of fun.” she admitted with a smiled. Who knew that she would be invited to hang out by friends she had only met that day during lunch.

“That’s great. They should be waiting near the gate tomorrow morning. I’m sure they’ll be excited. See you then.” Bakura added a, “It was nice meeting you,” as he started to walk away.

“You too!” she called and headed towards her own building. When she got inside, she couldn’t contain her excitement.

“Sanura!” she exclaimed, scooping up her surprised kitty. “You’ll never believe what happened today!”

She danced around laughing for a bit and eventually, she calmed down enough to finish her homework, eat dinner, and get ready for bed.

“Nothing could ruin this day,” she muttered to herself as she drifted off to sleep, anticipating the field trip to come.


	5. Chapter 5

4

The next day, Sadie was at the school early. She looked around for her new friends, eager to see them and hoping they would wait for her. It was almost impossible to find anyone in the crowd. Students swirled all around her while big, yellow buses sat on the sidewalk, waiting for their passengers to board.

“Did you get your name checked?” a teacher holding a clipboard asked.

“Oh, not yet. Sadie James.” The teacher took a moment then checked the paper.

“Okay. You’re good. If you want, you can get on the bus now.” Before Sadie had a chance to thank her, the teacher disappeared into the crowd. Sadie looked around for her friends, but in vain. They were nowhere in sight.

“Guess they boarded already,” she muttered. Most of the crowd was disappearing onto the buses. Sadie had no choice but to do the same. While heading to one of the buses towards the end, someone caught the back of her shirt.

“There ya are.” She turned to see Joey and Tristan behind her.

“Oh hi guys.” She gave a relieved smile. “Am I glad to see you.”

“Like wise.” Tristan said, giving a little wave.

Sadie looked around, but realized they were the only ones from the group there. “Where’s everyone else?”

They were about to answer when a voice behind her made her jump. “Sadie!!!!!” She turned only to be tackled by the ever-cheerful Miho. “We’ve been looking for you! Where have you been? We thought you got sick too!” the purple haired girl hugged Sadie like a teddy bear.

“Jeez, Miho. Why don’t ya loosen ya grip. The girl can barely breathe.” With a small gasp, Miho released Sadie and apologized while the poor girl gasped for air.

“Nice to see you too, Miho,” she wheezed.

“Come on. Our bus is back this way. Tea and Yugi are saving our seats.” They led the way while Miho chattered about how excited she was.

On the bus, Joey and Tristan made their way to the back. There, Yugi’s red and black spiky hair could be seen poking just above the seat. Next to him was the tall brunette, waving to get their attention. “About time you guys got here.”

“Look who we found wondering around,” Tristan teased, taking the empty seat behind Tea and Yugi.

“Hey Sadie! Glad you could make it.” Yugi said, looking overjoyed to see her.

“Hi Yugi. Hi Tea.” The brunette only gave her a smile before turning back to the window and staring outside.

“We thought we’d never find you,” Yugi explained, while Joey took a seat next to Tristan. He tried to shove Joey out so Miho could sit instead.

“I didn’t know where everyone was. It was hard to find anyone in such a big crowd.” Suddenly, she noticed something. “Where’s Bakura? Did you guys find him?”

“He called in sick today,” Tea answered, “He won’t be able to make it.”

“Poor Bakura. I’ll have to get him something to make him feel better.” Miho gushed, taking her seat across from Yugi. “Sit with me, Sadie!”

“Okay.” Sadie sat but felt a little bad as Tristan slumped in defeated.

“Attention, please. Take your seats. We will be departing shortly. Remember, there is no eating, drinking, fighting, or cursing on the bus.” The driver finished her announcement and started the engine.

The bus headed downtown. Trees, houses, cars, and people passed by while a murmur of excitement buzzed around the bus. Sadie was enjoying every minute of it.

“So Sadie, you ready to see the exhibit?” Yugi asked, getting her attention. She nodded, trying to remember the news report she saw a few days ago about it.

“It sounds like fun, but I don’t know what’s in it. I heard it was from Egypt, but that’s about it.”

“I read about it in the paper,” Yugi explained, “It has treasures from hidden ancient Egyptian tombs and palaces that were discovered. The exhibit has been traveling around the world and will only be in town for a few weeks. Many of the items are said to be priceless artifacts,” he concluded.

“Sounds exciting!” Miho squealed, making Sadie’s ears ring.

“Jeez, you’re really loud, you know that?” Tea rolled her blue eyes as people turned to look at them.

“Sorry…” Miho looked crestfallen like a scolded puppy. Her violet eyes had lost their usual cheerful glow.

“What’s your deal?” Tristan asked, defending Miho.

“She’s just mad that there’s no DDR at the museum.” Joey made a face at Tea over the seat. She responded with a smack to his face.

“As if,” she snorted. “You guys are so immature.” Making a face back at them, she folded her arms and sulked.

Joey and Tristan snickered at her reaction. “And she calls us immature,” Joey criticized.

“Alright guys. Lets not fight,” Yugi interjected, trying to keep the peace.

"There’s the museum!” some one shouted. Sadie leaned across the aisle to see out of Yugi and Tea’s window. It was a lovely, white building with stairs leading to an open entrance supported by six stone pillars. The bus stopped in front and the doors opened.

"You ready?” Yugi asked as everyone stood up. Sadie gave a quick nod and looked back at the building, eager to see the hidden treasures inside.

...

“Wow, that one’s so pretty!” Miho squealed, looking at a crown in one of the cases. Tea, who was in a better mood by then, and Sadie nodded in agreement.

“You’ve said that like four times already,” Joey complained, looking at a case full of gold swords. “I’m tellin’ ya. The weapons are so much cooler.”

Tristan, who was standing right behind him, just rolled his eyes. “If you say so. Now why don’t you stop breathing on the glass?”

“What are you, my mother?” Joey asked sarcastically, earning him a solid smack to his blond head.

"The way you act, I might as well be.”

 “I give up,” Yugi sighed, knowing another fight was coming.

 “The museum will be closing in ten minutes. Please find your way to the closest exit. We hope you enjoyed your visit,” an announcement stated briefly over the intercom.

 “Well, I guess that means its time to go,” Tristan assumed.

 “But there’s so much more to see,” Joey complained like a child.

 “Well, you wanted to spend the entire time in the Egyptian exhibit. Come on, the buses will be leaving soon.” Tristan put Joey in a headlock and started dragging him towards the door. Everyone else followed, giggling at Joey’s struggles.

 They were almost there when Miho stopped and started rummaging through her bag. “Wait. I think I dropped Bakura’s keychain!”

 “You mean the one you got at the gift shop?” Tristan asked, releasing Joey, who dropped like a rock to the ground. Miho nodded sadly.

 “Hey, watch it! That hurt you know!” Joey whined.

 “Well, it’s still open. You could get another,” Tea suggested, ignoring Joey.

 “But the line’s so long.” Sadie pointed to the gift shop where students were buying last minute things before getting on the bus. Already, some were being ushered out so the museum could close.

 “Maybe it fell out when we ate lunch,” Tea thought.

 “Let’s go back and check!” Miho exclaimed. She grabbed Sadie’s hand and dragged her back inside.

 “But the museums about to close,” Joey reminded them, not quite over his tantrum.

 “You guys go ahead and save some seats,” Tristan told them. “We’ll just take a quick look.”

 “Alright,” Tea agreed with a sigh, “but don’t take too long.”

 Tristan nodded and hurried to catch up with the girls. “Hey! Wait up!”

 Yugi watched them disappear around the corner with an uneasy look in his purple eyes. The others noticed.

 “Somethin’ up Yug?” Joey asked. Tea gave a questioningly look.

 “Just a bad feeling,” Yugi admitted.

 “It’s probably nothing,” Tea thought.

 Yugi shook his spiky head and forced a smile. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” But as they walked outside, he couldn’t shake the sense that something was wrong. With one last glance at the building, he followed Tea and Joey towards the buses.


	6. Chapter 6

5 

After ten minutes of searching, the keychain was nowhere to be found.

“Did you check over there?” Miho asked frantically.

“Yes,” Sadie answered, shouldering her bag. “I don’t think it’s here.”

“Sorry, Miho,” Tristan said apologetically, “but I think we need to head back. The others are waiting for us and the buses are going to leave soon.”

Miho sniffled and nodded. With a dejected look, she led the way down the hall.

“Cheer up,” Tristan smiled, “I’m sure Bakura won’t mind–” _WHAM!!!_

Something slammed into Tristan and knocked him to the ground. A man fell beside him. A bag he was holding spun out of his hand and sent its contents skittering across the polished floor.

“Watch it, will ya?” Tristan shouted, sitting up. Miho ran to his side to see if he was all right.

“You watch it, punk!” the man shouted back, jumping to his feet. He was tall with dark hair and deep eyes set in a mean face. With one hand, he grabbed the bag. With the other, he started shoveling the spilled objects inside.

On of the sparkling trinkets rolled over to Sadie and nudged her foot. Curious, she picked it up. It was a gold bracelet swirled into an eye on one side. As she held it, the bangle started glow; faint at first then brighter. She couldn’t take her eyes off of it. It was mesmerizing and the light felt warm and protective.

“Hey!” the man shouted, bringing Sadie back. “Give that back!” Sadie dropped the bracelet and stepped back in alarm.

“You there! Stop!” two security guards ran in pointing wildly at the man. He cursed and made a hasty escape out the side door. One ran after him while the other stayed behind to check on them.

“Are you kids okay?” They were too stunned to answer gave weak nods. The first guard came back moments later.

“The thief got away,” he admitted.

“Thief?” Miho squeaked and squeezed Tristan’s arm.

“Yes. He snuck in somehow and took a lot of the artifacts. It was just bad luck you kids ran into him.”

“You can say that again,” Tristan muttered, rubbing his head.

“You kids from Domino High?”

“Yeah,” Tristan answered as they made their way back to the front doors.

“You’re in luck, the buses haven’t left yet. If you hurry, you can catch them.”

Outside, police cars were flashing on the sidewalk as cops swarmed into the building. Tristan, Miho, Sadie, and their escort weaved through the crowd until they were standing next to one of the buses.

"Here. Now you kids be careful. That guy is still running around.” Before they could thank him, he had disappeared into the crowd.

 ...

“What happened?” Joey asked as soon as they were seated. “Did Tristan break somethin’?”

"No! There was a thief!” Miho cried out.

“What?” the others looked shocked.

“We were heading back,” Tristan began, “when this guy ran out of no where and knocked me over. He dropped his stuff and had to pick it up. He tried to take something from Sadie then he ran away when some security guards showed up.”

“No way!” Joey shouted. “You should have clobbered that guy!”

“I was going to, but he ran off before I could.”

“He was so scary!” Miho hugged Sadie tightly, making the purple haired girl gasp for air again.

“Are you alright?” Yugi asked, looking worried.

“We’re fine, just a small run in.” Sadie forced a smile and attempted to pry Miho off her so she could breathe.

“Did they catch him?” Tea asked.

“No, he got away.” Tristan didn’t look too happy about it. Neither did anyone else.

“He probably won’t be back any time soon.” Joey tried to sound optimistic.

“You’re right,” Tea smiled, “Not with your ugly mug hanging around here.”

Everyone laughed while Joey tried to reach Tea, but in vain. In the end, he could only sit against the window and sulk on the way back.

... 

After dark, a shadow slithered across the stairs of the museum and slipped in the side door. The police had left hours ago, but still the thief was wary. Once inside, he made his way to the director’s office and knocked on the door. Instead of an answer, the door cracked open. Quickly, he stepped inside and closed it behind him.

“So…” a voice behind him purred. Gathering his courage, he turned to face the voice’s owner. There at the director’s desk sat Dr. Seth Evans flanked by two other goons as tough and ugly as they come. Of course, he wasn’t the director. The real director had been sent on a much-needed vacation while the good doctor generously offered to fill in.

“Did you bring me what I asked?” Dr. Evans asked. His eyes dared the thief to say no.

“Well…not exactly…” he squirmed uncomfortably under the burning gaze.

“And why not?” the possessed man asked calmly. He changed his gaze to his golden cobra staff in his hands, turning it this way and that to catch the light.

“Well, I ran into these kids and…well…” he trailed off.

"That does not tell me why you did not bring me my bracelet.” Anger crept into the smooth voice.

“It fell out of the bag,” he tried to explain, “and it started glowing when this girl got it then guards showed up before I could get it back…”

“What?!?” Seth stood suddenly. “It was glowing?”

“Yeah…” the thief answered, unsure if he should or not. He looked to the other thugs for help, but they only gave him sympathetic glances.

“What girl?”

“Some girl at the museum. She was about this tall,” the thief gestured below his shoulders, “with reddish-purple hair and purple eyes. I think she was with the school that went on the field trip.”

With each description, Seth’s eyes got more worried and angry. “And she had the bracelet?”

“Last I saw. The guards showed up before I could get it back.” Dr. Evans wasn’t listening to him anymore. Instead, he took a mirror from one of the desk drawers and stared at it. The thief crept closer to see what was happening.

The mirror, normal at first, began to glow, not the golden color the bracelet had but a menacing red hue. Slowly, shapes and colors formed until it was replaying the scene from earlier that day.

The thief watched himself attempt the take the bracelet away from the girl but this time he noticed something; the girl dropped the bracelet _but it never hit the ground_. As she stepped back, the bracelet slipped into her bag. She still had it.

With an infuriated screech, Dr. Evans threw the mirror across the room. It met with an unfortunate end against the far wall. The thief and the other thugs backed up a few steps, fearing Seth’s wrath. He took a few breaths and calmed himself down.

“The girl may have the bracelet but she doesn’t know it…yet.” Taking a moment to ponder, Seth stroked the gold cobra’s head thoughtfully.

“You two,” he finally said, gesturing to the other thugs, “go with him and retrieve my bracelet.”

“What about the girl?”

Seth thought about it for a moment. “Bring her to me. She may prove to be useful.” An evil glinted in his eye made the men shiver as he sat once again.

"But sir,” one piped up, “how will we find her.”

 "Here,” he removed the ruby from its perch on the cobra’s head and tossed it to the thug. “The jewel will shine when you’re close. Follow it until you find her. Start near the school she is attending. You can manage that, I take it?”

 With their orders, all three men made there way to the door. “Oh, and one more thing.” All three stopped to look at their boss stroking his staff fondly. “Do not under any circumstance let her put the bracelet on.” They nodded and closed the door. They weren’t sure why the bracelet was such a big deal but they sure weren’t going to let the girl put it on; the risk was too high.


	7. Chapter 7

6

She stood in a garden growing on the banks of a river. Moonlight danced across the ripples of the moving water. A warm night breeze rustled through the leaves, making them dance. Flowers of every shape, color, and kind swayed gently, perfuming the air. It was a peaceful sight, but something was on the girl’s mind. Melancholy weighed heavily in her heart but the cause was a mystery.

Then a shadow materialized on the ground before her. She froze. Someone was behind her. A small gasp escaped her lips as a hand gently grasped her shoulder…

 ,,, 

Sadie James sat up abruptly, breaking free of the shadowy grip. She looked around, but it was only her room. No garden, no shadow, no hand; only a dream. Morning light was filtering through the window, chasing the nightmare’s memory away.

With an irritated sigh, she glanced at her clock. Then she glanced again. For a split second, she thought it was another nightmare. There was no way it was almost eleven. She should be at school, right? That thought kicked her brain into gear and her dream was forgotten in a flash. She jumped out of bed and raced to get ready.

She found Sanura five minutes later meowing by his food bowl as she slipped her shoes on. “Thanks for waking me,” she replied dryly. She quickly fed him and grabbed her bag.

Outside, the weather had taken a turn for the nasty. Chilly winds blew leaves and trash alike down the sidewalk. More than once, Sadie had to hold her skirt down for the stronger gusts. The dark clouds that swirled overhead forecasted rain. Already, small drops could be felt as she raced through the front gates of Domino High.

When she finally entered the classroom, lunch was just ending and students were taking their seats. Casually, she walked to her seat, hoping she wouldn’t be noticed, but to no avail

“Miss James, since you neglected to show up earlier today you can help clean the classroom after school. Now please take your seat.”

“Yes sir.” The rest of the class snickered as she scurried to her desk.

...

"Hey, Sadie!” She turned to see Yugi and Joey entering the class.

“Oh, hey guys,” she greeted, setting her broom down. The other students continued their cleaning. “What’s up?”

“Nothin’ much. We thought you weren’t here today.” Joey took a seat on a desk, much to the annoyance of the boy trying to clean it. “What happened? Get caught playing hooky?”

Sadie shook her head. “No, I accidentally overslept. Mr. V’s making me help clean up.”

“That sucks,” Yugi nodded sympathetically as he sat down.

“Yeah. So what are you guys doing here? I thought you would have left by now.”

“It’s raining and we forgot umbrellas,” Yugi admitted. Sadie nodded in agreement. She was in a hurry and had forgotten to grab hers too.

“We were just about to head over to Bakura’s,” Yugi continued. “He wasn’t in class again so Miho thought it would be nice to pay him a visit. You should come with us.”

“That would be great.” Sadie smiled eagerly. “I’ll have to finish up first.”

“But Yug, weren’t we supposed to get some snacks on the way?” Joey reminded.

“Oh yeah,” Yugi frowned. “Maybe you could meet us there?”

“Sounds good to me,” Sadie nodded.

“All right, We’ll meet you out front then.”

“Okay,” Sadie nodded. “I shouldn’t be too much longer.” Joey and Yugi both stood to leave just as a teacher walked in the room.

“Mr. Muto. Mr. Wheeler. Perhaps you would like to assist Ms. James in clean the class.”

“They were just leaving,” Sadie interjected. The teacher only gave a small snort in reply. The two boys waved thanks to their friend before dashing out the door. When the teacher turned to glare at Sadie, she had resumed sweeping innocently.

...

“I’m going to be soaked,” Sadie grumbled from the shelter of her jacket. She had set it on her head as a makeshift tent, but it didn’t help much to keep her bare legs warm. “Where are those guys? They said they wouldn’t be long.” Rain continued to pitter-patter as she stood in the entrance of the apartments. “I wish this rain would let up. I’ll probably have to change before I head over to Bakura’s.”

She glanced down the sidewalk but still no sign of Yugi or Joey. She sighed. “Too bad I don’t know which one is Bakura’s. Probably would have been smarter to ask.”

In her thought process, Sadie noticed a group of men walking down the sidewalk across the street. None of them had umbrellas but were wearing sunglasses. _Odd weather to be going for sunglasses_ , she thought. The one in front seemed to be following some kind of red light emanating from his hand. The rest were following his lead. When he noticed Sadie watching, she quickly turned away, hiding behind her plum hair.

When they were directly across from the apartment, they stopped, watching the red light in the leader’s palm. The American girl felt uncomfortable and would have retreated inside but she was still waiting for Yugi and Joey. _Besides, you’re probably just being paranoid,_ she told herself.

The look the men kept giving her, though, convinced her more and more of her paranoia. Hoping the boys would show up soon, Sadie kept watching the sidewalk, trying with all her might to ignore the odd crowd.

Every once in a while she would glance through her hair at the unusual men. The one holding the red light looked familiar but she couldn’t truly make his face out behind his shades. It wasn’t until he removed them to wipe some rainwater off that she recognized him.

He was tall with deep-set eyes resting in a face that was as menacing as it was familiar.

It was the thief from the museum.

Her whole body froze in cold panic. She clutched her bag desperately, not sure what to do. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. Questions whirled through her mind too fast to answer. What was he doing there? Why would he follow her? Keep her quiet maybe? Maybe it wasn’t really him, just a similar face? Maybe he wasn’t after her?

The group noticed her panic and decided to act then. As one, they took a step off the curb and started crossing the street. That kicked Sadie’s brain into gear. In control of her body again, she spun around and dashed into the apartment complex.

“Stop her!” one yelled. The chase was on. Heavy footfalls splashing in the rain behind her, drawing closer and closer. Water and strands of violet hair half blinded Sadie but still she pushed herself to run faster. Her haste made her careless, though.

In a backward glimpse, the terrified girl lost her footing and crashed to the ground. Her bag skittered at her side but miraculously managed to stay anchored to her arm. The pursuers were on her before she could even sit up.

“Grab her. Don’t let her get away,” the thief commanded the others. They yanked her to her feet and half dragged her behind one of the buildings out of sight of any accidental witnesses.    

 “Well, well, well… look what we have here,” one teased as he grabbed both of her hands behind her back with one of his. His free hand quickly covered her mouth to muffle the scream she was building up.

The teen tried to get free, but it was no use. Her captor had a grip of iron. “Now, now, no need for that. Just quit squirming a minute and we’ll get what we want.” Another one of the men reached for her but no matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t break free.

With a quick snatch, the main guy grabbed her school bag and unbuckled it from her arm. He opened the top and began digging through it but it was just a mess of school stuff. Frustrated, he dumped its contents onto the wet ground. Pencils, books, and homework all fell to the mercy of the rain, leaving the poor girl to watch in horror as the thief continued to search the pile of now useless supplies.

As he brushed away a loose paper, though, his search finally ended. There, dewed with raindrops, was the gold bracelet from the museum. The thief stood up, holding it like a trophy, and held a strange red jewel close to it. The gem glowed bright, then dimmed until there was no light left. Their search was over.

“Got it,” he grunted simply, a grimace on his face that Sadie could only imagine might have been a smile for him.

  _How did that get in my bag?_ the purple haired girl wondered.

“See,” the skinny guy holding her chuckled, “that wasn’t so hard.”

Sadie was still trying to figure out why the bracelet was in her bag when it started to glow again. “It’s doing it again,” the thief muttered. Walking towards Sadie, he watched it glow brighter and brighter. “So you’re the one making it glow, huh?”

The golden eye of the bracelet stared into Sadie’s lavender ones, captivating her in its eerie stare. She couldn’t look away and she didn’t want to. It had a warm and welcoming light unlike the red jewel the thief possessed; its light made her anxious and worried.

“Dude, stop it. That is seriously creeping me out.” The skinny captor released Sadie’s hands and took a step back, losing his nerve to be near the enchanted jewelry.

“Don’t let her go, idiot,” another hissed, “We still have to take her with us.”

The hypnosis over Sadie broke then and her relief returned to panic. Take her with them? She turned to face the man who had held her and took a step away from him. Her back hit the thief and she knew she was trapped.

“Hey, what the-“ the thief shouted as the bracelet glowed brighter than ever. With a cry of pain, he released it and stumbled away from Sadie. In its seconds of freedom, the bracelet flew from his hand and attached itself onto Sadie’s arm.

Pain was all Sadie felt next. Her whole body was on fire and her head felt like it was going to explode. And a voice was shouting, echoing through her ears but she couldn’t understand it. The suffering girl collapsed on her knees, clutching her throbbing head, and started screaming in agony.


	8. Chapter 8

7

"I think most of the snacks survived,” Joey noted, taking a peek inside the grocery bag. “Well, most of them anyway.”

“That’s good,” Yugi sighed in relief. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t start raining again.”

Joey nodded. “Isn’t that place around here somewhere?”

“I think it’s up here on the left.” The short boy pointed to a gate leading to a group of tan apartment buildings. With newfound determination, the two picked up their pace and soon arrived at the front entrance.

“Well here we are!” Yugi’s optimistic smile fell, though, when he noticed they were alone. “Where’s Sadie? Wasn’t she supposed to meet us here?”

“Yeah, we said we’d meet her out front,” the Brooklyn teen recalled, glancing around for their purple haired friend. “Maybe she went on ahead.”

“I don’t think she knows which one is Bakura’s apartment.” Worry grew heavy in his chest; something wasn’t right. He wandered through the gates but still saw no sign of the girl.

“Hey, Yug. Come check this out.” Lying on the ground was a discarded jacket, soaked by the rain and covered in dirty footprints. They instantly recognized it; the girls’ uniform jacket for Domino High. Yugi bit his lip in rising concern.

“Is that Sadie’s?” The blond picked it up and glanced at the collar. Written on the tag was the name James, Sadie.

“Yeah. You don’t think…”

Yugi nodded, his violet gaze on the crumpled material. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“You know every time you say that, something bad always seems to happen.” Just then, a tortured scream echoed between the tall buildings. “Like I was saying,” Joey concluded, jumping to his feet.

“That sounded like Sadie!” Another cry filled the air, this one more painful than the last.

“It’s coming from this way! Come on!” Following the noise, the two boys ran as fast as they could. Left behind next to the pink blazer sat the bag of snacks, so carefully protected from the rain and yet so easily forgotten.

...

All three men stared in horror. The boss’s one rule and they had broken it. Now the girl was on the ground, screaming her head off like she was being murdered.

“You idiot! Look what you did!”

“It wasn’t me! The thing just jumped out of my hands!” the thief protested.

“Who cares, just shut her up and get the bracelet.” One tried to approach the girl but was instantly shot back, tumbling in a heap on the wet ground

“What the hell? I can’t get close. It’s like a force field.” Another tried, but got the same results. Soon all three were in a panic. They couldn’t get the bracelet back, couldn’t get near the girl, and her screaming was bound to attract attention.

“Screw this! Let’s just get out of here before someone sees us! We can tell the boss and try to get it back later,” he reasoned.

“Hey, you!!!!” a voice shouted, destroying all hopes of escaping unseen. “Why don’t you pick on somebody your own size?” The thief turned just in time to meet a flying foot to the face. He stumbled back, clutching a broken nose.

“Who the hell?”

It was a tall boy with blond hair, glaring at them with dangerous eyes. Behind him stood a shorter kid with crazy hair and a furious expression. As they watched, a pyramid shaped pendant around his neck began to glow and he seemed to change, growing taller and more threatening. He said nothing but all three men got chills from his daggered stare.

"Nobody messes with our friend!” the Brooklyn kid declared, running at the second guy. His fist connected heavily with the skinny thug’s stomach and he doubled over in pain.

“Guess that just leaves you,” Joey muttered, turning to the third guy. Panicked, the guy tossed Sadie’s book bag at the teen’s face. In the distraction, he and his two accomplices took off running, desperate to escape the street fighter and his terrifying companion.

“Hey! Get back here! I ain’t finished with you yet!” Determined to finish their fight, Joey took off after them. “Come back here you cowards!”

Meanwhile, Yugi was preoccupied with Sadie. She was still on the ground, clutching her head and crying out in pain.

“Sadie, are you okay?” he asked desperately. She didn’t respond. She didn’t even seem to notice him there. “Sadie, answer me!”

She said nothing but continued to scream, shaking her head back and forth.

“Sadie, please answer me!” Yugi pleaded, grabbing her shoulders to claim her attention. At once, the screams subsided. With a sigh of relief, she slumped forward, released from whatever torment had plagued her.

Yugi caught her before she hit the ground and leaned her head against his shoulder. She was out cold but alive and clearly not suffering as she had been earlier. She was also soaked from the rain and shivering, either from cold or fear. He quickly covered her shoulders with his jacket; it wasn’t much but it was all he had until they could get to Bakura’s. He stood slowly; balancing the unconscious girl in his arms, and began walking.

...

Sadie screamed. It was all she could do. The pain was unbearable, like being burned, crushed, and suffocated all at once with no end in sight. And she wasn’t alone. Another voice in her head screamed with her, sharing her torment. She couldn’t move, she could barely breathe. The only air that did fill her lungs was instantly used to vent her agony.

She vaguely understood what was happening around her; the men arguing of what to do, Joey arriving to help and chasing the other men off, Yugi calling her name. She tried to answer but only anguish could escape her lips. She could not answer him.

Then suddenly, she felt his touch on her shoulder and the pain was gone. No burning, or crushing, or suffocating. Welcoming shadows crept in the corner of her vision, promising comfort and safety. She sighed in relief and fell into the embrace off the darkness.

In the deep recesses of her mind, though, she could still not find solitude. The voice was waiting there, having also been freed from its distress.

“Thank you, dear one,” it whispered sweetly like nightingales on a midnight breeze. “You have released me from my curse but the journey has only just begun.”

“What journey? Who are you?” Sadie called, unable to see the woman speaking to her.

There was a gentle chuckle. “All will be made clear in time. But for now, we must part.”

As the darkness grew slowly to light, Sadie heard the voice called to her as it faded. “Trust in your friends for they will help you and remember; no matter what you will always be safe with him.”

“Him? Who?” Sadie asked, but the voice was gone, vanished into her subconscious again but the girl knew somehow that it was still there, waiting to speak to her again when the time was right. This left many unanswered questions for Sadie to ponder. Who was the whispering woman? Who had put her under such a terrible curse? What journey was she talking about? But one question puzzled her most, “Him?”


	9. Chapter 9

8

Slowly but surely, Sadie came too, fighting against the thick fog clouding her mind. As she opened her eyes, the bright light made her wince and sent a jolt of pain through her temples.

“You’re awake, I see,” a voice said above her.

When Sadie dared to peek, she found the familiar face of Yugi watching her with a worried expression. She tried to focus on him but her vision swam and the throbbing in her head made her flinch again.

“Are you alright?” he asked concerned.

“Just a headache. What happened?”

“I was about to ask you the same question. Joey and I heard you scream and found you with those guys. He chased them off and you passed out.”

“Do you think he’ll be okay?”

“Don’t worry, Joey will be fine,” Yugi answered. “Which brings us back to what happened before we showed up.”

“I don’t know. One of the guys was the thief from the museum. They chased me down while I was waiting for you guys and…” Sadie trailed off, trying to recall what happened next. Yugi waited patiently for her to continue but Sadie just shook her head against the hazy memories. “That’s all I remember. Ugh, my head is killing me.”

“We’ll get some ice at Bakura’s,” he reassured softly. “Everyone should be waiting for us there.”

“Alright.” But when Sadie tried to stand she realized for the first time that she was being carried. This caused an embarrassed blush to color her face. “Uh, I think I can walk now,” she hinted, glancing down at the ground.

Yugi glanced at her and shook his head. “You’re in no condition to walk. Besides, we’re almost there.”

“No really, its fine,” Sadie argued, squirming to get free of his arms.

His furious glare made her freeze. Something wasn’t right; this wasn’t the Yugi she was used to. His attitude was different, too confident and serious. His voice sounded deeper and the usual violet eyes had been replaced by a startling magenta that stared her into silence.

“I said no. You’re going to hurt yourself,” he refused sternly. Anger was added to Sadie’s panic.

“Who died and made you king!? I said put me down!” she shouted, shaking her loose hair in defiance. Shocked by her sudden outburst, Yugi released her gently to the ground but didn’t move away. The instant her feet touched down, Sadie spun to face her changed friend but the pavement swayed dangerously beneath her.

“Sadie!” Strong arms caught her before she fell and Sadie found herself once again being held by Yugi.

“Just a bit dizzy,” she muttered weakly to his chest.

 “I told you,” he retorted crossly.

Instead of arguing, the girl chose instead to lean into his warm embrace. The rain had died down to a light mist but it was still chilly and Sadie’s uniform had been soaked through and through. It was then that she noticed the blue jacket wrapped around her. It was Yugi’s. He had lent it to her, leaving him with only his white uniform shirt against the rain.

“I’m sorry,” the boy sudden spoke after a moment of silence. “If Joey or I had walked you back, none of this would have happened and you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

Sadie glanced at her friend in confusion. A hardened gaze of regret and anger pierced the space before his eyes. Now she was thoroughly puzzled. One moment, he’s angry with her and the next, he’s apologizing? She was having a hard time trying to figure out his personality change, she didn’t need any bipolar self-blame added in.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she tried to comfort him. “I’m fine and those guys won’t be back any time soon.”

“Not if they know what’s good for them,” she heard him growl darkly. Before she could worry about his threat, a shrill screech robbed the girl of her hearing.

“Oh no Sadie!!!!” Miho cried, running out of the apartment door to meet them. “You’re going to be okay! Just don’t die, alright?!”

“She’s fine Miho, just relax,” Yugi assured her as they arrived at the door.

“There you guys are. We were just about to go look for ya,” Joey called as they walked inside. The rest of the gang gathered around as they stepped into the living room. “Sadie doin’ alright?”

“Just a headache,” she answered, trying to ignore Miho’s requests for her to not die. Tristan seemed to take pity on Sadie and dragged the lavender haired girl to the couch to sit.

“I’ll take her to the kitchen to get some ice,” Bakura offered.

 “You think you can make it?” Yugi asked Sadie skeptically. She just nodded and braced herself for any dizzy spells that might follow. When she stood, she swayed but stayed upright.

With Bakura supporting her, the two made their way to the small kitchen. Sitting Sadie down in a chair, he laid a towel in her lap and went to the freezer.

 “Are you sure you’re okay?” the British boy asked doubtfully, returning to the table with a filled ice pack.

“Yeah I’m fine. My head just hurts,” Sadie nodded her, placing the ice on her head. The pain was lessening but the occasional throb still made her cringe.

“I’ll go to see if I have any Tylenol,” he said. “Will you be alright?”

Sadie just nodded and watched him go before removing the borrowed jacket. She draped it on the back of her chair to dry and pondered back to her encounter with Yugi.

It was hard to believe the intimidating boy who had carried her to Bakura’s was the same shy and cheerful Yugi she has befriended at school. He had looked the same but acted like a completely different person.

 _Maybe that’s what he’s like when he’s mad_ , she considered. _Well whatever it is, I prefer the happy Yugi._

Setting such thoughts aside for later, Sadie directed her concentration to the towel in her lap. As she was drying her arm, though, she noticed something that made her blood freeze. There, clasped just below her shoulder was the golden eye of the thieves’ wanted bracelet.

It all came back in a terrible flood. The bracelet glowing then latching to her. The pain. The darkness. The voice. A whirlwind of memories spun round and round and left the poor girl feeling dizzy. She shook her head and glared at the offending jewelry.

“I get chased down just so they can leave the bracelet behind? How does that make sense?” she hissed, trying to slide the golden circle from her arm. It wouldn’t budge though it wasn’t stuck; it was barely tight against her skin but just simply refused to move no matter how desperately she tugged at it. Finally, she groaned in defeat and slumped back in her chair. The bracelet wasn’t coming off without a fight.

“That’s just great,” she groaned, leaning her head against the table.

 “Feeling better?” a voice asked behind her. She jumped and turned to see Bakura watching her from the doorway.

“Yeah,” Sadie lied, nonchalantly wrapping the towel around her arms.

Bakura gave her a doubtful look but covered it up with a sweet smile. “That’s good. Sorry I couldn’t find any Tylenol.”

“That’s alright,” she smiled, standing slowly.  “I think my headache is just about gone anyways.”

“Did you want to join us in the living room?” Sadie nodded and followed him out of the kitchen, careful to keep her arms covered by the towel.


	10. Chapter 10

9

In the living room, everyone was seated in a tense circle listening to Joey finish his tale of the thug chase. Sadie quietly took a seat next to Miho while Bakura stood against the wall.

“I can’t believe you let them get away,” Tristan sighed from down the sofa.

“What was I supposed to do? I chased them five blocks! I would have caught ‘em, too, if they hadn’t had a car waiting,” Joey shouted, slamming his fist against the wall.

 “You don’t think they’re after all of us, do you?” Miho shrieked, grabbing at Tristan’s arm. “What if they come for Miho next?”

“It’s probably cause you saw them at the museum and if they managed to find Sadie, they’ll  probably find you too.”

Tristan shot him a warning glance but it was too late. The purple haired girl gave a frightened wail. “Miho doesn’t want to die!”

“Way to go,” Tea muttered to the blond.

“There now, calm down,” Bakura chimed in. “I doubt they want to kill anybody. I mean, they didn’t harm Sadie when they found her.”

“But how _did_ they manage to find her in the first place?” Yugi pondered from his chair. He was back to his normal self again; the same innocent purple eyes and sweet disposition that had Sadie had come to know. It was like he had never changed.

She glanced curiously at the others but no one commented on his bizarre switch; had they not noticed? Was she the only one? Was her mind playing tricks on her? Confusion ran round her head until she finally concluded the ‘other’ Yugi had to have been some sort of strange hallucination brought on by a migraine.

“How ya feelin’?” Joey asked, bringing her back to the conversation.

“Fine now. Thanks,” she smiled, “Good thing you guys showed up when you did.”

“No prob. What are friends for? Sorry I couldn’t really save your stuff, though,” he admitted, gesturing to her bag, jacket, and rain soaked school supplies piled in the corner.

“Did those guys tell you what they wanted?” Tristan asked, cutting to the question that was on everyone’s mind.

Sadie considered telling them about the bracelet but a voice stopped her. It was the woman from before, quiet and earnest with her orders.

_Do not tell them just yet. A dark presence watches. Who knows what evils may be unleashed to take the bracelet. Wait until a safer audience is assured._ With that, the voice was silenced.

“Yo, Sadie,” Joey called, waving his hands in front of her face. Her contemplation was broken and she just shook her head.

“No, sorry. I don’t remember them saying anything. They just chased me down and you guys showed up,” she summarized, careful to leave the bracelet out.

“Maybe we should call the police,” Tea suggested. The others nodded but panic gripped Sadie. If the cops found her with the stolen bracelet they might blame her for the robbery. She’d rather return it to the museum and have a chance to explain what happened before being blamed.

“Good idea,” Joey agreed, crossing the room to pick up the phone. Before he could make the call, though, Sadie’s fear got the best of her.

“No, wait!” she cried, drawing everyone’s curious gaze on her. Flushing red, she stared at her shoes and continued in a quieter voice. “I mean, the police are already after these guys so calling won’t make much of a difference. Besides, they probably just wanted to scare us so we keep quiet. Bring the cops back in will just get them even angrier at us.”

“But what if they come back?” Tristan asked, trying to follow her reasoning.

“I doubt they will,” Sadie answered, unsure of own words.

Yugi wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know, it seems too risky. We may not be as lucky if they decide to come back.”

“But if they do _then_ we’ll call the cops.”

There was a tense moment as her argument sunk in. Finally, Joey hung the phone back up. The girl sighed in relief.

“Fine but until we’re sure those creeps ain’t comin’ back, no one goes wanderin’ off alone. It’ll be harder for them to catch us off guard if we stick together.”

“Speaking of which,” Tea interrupted, glancing at the clock. “It’s getting late; we should probably go before it gets dark.”

Everyone stood to gather their things and slip on their shoes. Sadie’s jacket was still damp but she didn’t hesitate to slip it on after returning Bakura’s towel. The rest of her stuff was tossed in the bag for later salvaging.

“Do you want me to walk with you guys?” Bakura asked as he showed them the door.

“Nah its fine. We all don’t live too far apart and we’ll walk Sadie home before we leave,” Joey declined. The look Bakura gave him seemed more irritated than disappointed but it was quickly shrugged off.

“Okay then. I can walk to school with you tomorrow if you’d like, Sadie,” Bakura offered.

The girl gave a faint smile as she followed everyone outside. “Sure, thanks.”

“Thanks for coming by to check on me everyone even if it didn’t turn out as expected. See you tomorrow!”

“Good night, Bakura!” everyone chimed as the British boy closed the door. Once alone, he smiled in the dark.

“The museum, huh?” he chuckled to himself. “Seems rather intriguing. Perhaps I should take a little field trip of my own.”

...

“Thanks for walking me home guys,” Sadie said for the hundredth time as she unlocked her apartment door.

The sun was set just below the horizon, blazing orange and pink streaks across the heavens in its last brilliant moments. Gray shadows stretched longer and longer, eager for night to fall. It would be dark soon but still her friends had insisted on walking Sadie to her front door before returning home themselves.

“Don’t worry about it,” Joey laughed, giving her an encouraging pat on the back. The momentum sent her off balance but she caught herself and chuckled along.

You sure you’ll be alright?” Yugi asked again, still bothered by their decision to not call the cops.

“Yeah,” Sadie answered, forcing a weak smile. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

“Well alright,” he relented with a sigh. “Just let us know if something happens, okay?”

“I will.”

 “Come on! Miho wants to go home before it gets dark,” the lavender haired girl whined, dragging Tristan by the arm towards the stairs.

“Hey wait up!” Joey shouted, charging after the couple. “Night Sadie!”

“We’ll see you tomorrow!” Tea called, following the others around the corner. Yugi gave a small chuckle.

“Well I guess I’d better go too.” He waved as he turned to catch up.

“Yugi!” Sadie suddenly said, stopping him in his tracks.

“Yeah?” he waited, curious purple eyes watching her. “What is it?”

“Well I just…” she trailed off unsure how to explain. The voice had told her to wait but she wasn’t sure if the ‘dark presence’ was still around. She wasn’t even sure if there _was_ a dark presence. As a matter of fact, she wasn’t sure there was even a _voice_.

“Something wrong, Sadie?”

“I just uh…thanks again for helping me earlier,” she muttered lamely.

“It was nothing,” he blushed before turning to the stairs. “Well uh, see you tomorrow!”

“Bye,” she sighed, sure her decision to leave her friends out of the mess was the right one.

As soon as the door was closed, Sadie stripped off her blazer and attempted to pry the bracelet off.

“Why won’t you just get off of me!” she hissed at the piece of jewelry.

_Calm yourself, Sadie._ It was the voice again, sweet and soothing. _Neither it nor I mean you any harm._

Sadie clutched her temples unsure if it was echoing around the room or in her head.

“Who are you? What do you want?” she cried, starting to question her own sanity. “Is this real?”

There was a gentle chuckle. _Yes I am very real. My name is Safiya; the spirit of the bracelet and a friend to you, Sadie James._

“Safiya? Spirit of the bracelet?” Sadie repeated, her mind whirling in confusion. She plopped down on the sofa, cradling her head in her hands.

_Yes. I was trapped here but you released me, Sadie, and for that I am eternally grateful._

“How did you get trapped in the bracelet? How did I set you free? What dark presence were you talking about earlier? And how do you know my name?”

_Be at peace,_ Safiya spoke softly. _All of your questions will be answered in time but for now, rest and be well. It is late and tomorrow is a new day._

Sadie tried to argue but exhaustion made her tongue heavy and eyes unfocused. In tired heap, she curled up on the couch and let the weightlessness of sleep carry her away to a place without chases, thieves, and possessed jewelry.

...

“Knock.”

“No, you knock.”

“Someone just knock already!” the thief snapped.

“Be our guest,” the skinny one retorted.

The argument was cut short when the door swung open on its own accord.

“Do you plan to argue outside my chambers all night?” a cool voice asked from the dark. With nervous glances, the three men stepped into the gloomy office.

The only light source was a dim lamp glowing on the desk. Sitting in a chair behind it was Dr. Evans, admiring the snarling cobra head of his staff.

“Did you find the bracelet?” he asked, holding out his hand without glancing at them. The thief dropped the ruby into the waiting fingers with an anxious nod.

“Yeah we did. We found the girl.”

“And?” he asked, returning the red gem to its place onto of the snake’s head.

 “Well we _did_ find it but we don’t… _have_ …it…” the thief trailed off.

Dr. Evans tensed for a moment but relaxed and turned his full attention to his hired men. The shadows on his face caused all three to shiver.

“And why ever not?” he breathed quietly, the sound barely carrying past the desk.

There was a tense, deafening silence that followed until the skinny thug couldn’t take it anymore.

“That bracelet is possessed! We had it but it suddenly jumped onto her like it was alive. We tried to get it off but these punks found us and-“

“WHAT!!!!” their boss shrieked, jumping to his feet. His eyes were tinged with fury and madness. “I told you not to let the girl put the bracelet on! Now Safiya’s spirit will be set free! She will ruin everything!”

“We’re sorry. We didn’t mean to sir,” the thief tried to apologize but the doctor turned on him fiercely.

“Hold your tongue! You imbeciles were told to follow one order and you failed! For that, you must be punished!” Seth raised the snake staff in the air and the red jewel began to glow.

“No! Please!” But it was too late. The eerie light flashed over the thugs, growing brighter and brighter until it filled the room. Then suddenly, it was gone.

In the place of the thugs were sat three salamanders, glancing at the room around them in confusion.

“Next time, my orders are to be obeyed,” Evans lectured the amphibians. As he turned to reclaim his seat, a dark chuckle floated out of the dark.

“Impressive. Very impressive.” From the shadows of the room appeared a white haired young man, a wicked grin on his face and a circle of gold hanging from his neck.

“Who are you? How did you get in here?” Evans asked, taking his seat behind the desk.

“Just a thief here to offer my services,” he answered, giving a small bow.

“And what services would you have to offer, thief?” Seth leaned forward, interested in what the young man had to say.

“The girl you seek is a friend of my host. With my help you will be able to lure her out and reclaim your bracelet.”

"Ah so you are a spirit of the items as well,” the staff’s spirit chuckled, eyeing the circle of gold against the other man’s chest. “Your offer interests me, thief, but what would you get in return for your deeds?”

“The bracelet once you are done with it,” Bakura explained. “I have a hobby of collecting Millennium Items. My ring has the ability to track them down when I am near.”

“You’re able to find other items?” Seth stood slowly, his gaze studying the Millennium Ring. “Would you be able to track down a puzzle for me?”

“So you’re looking for the Pharaoh as well,” the thief concluded, crossing his arms with a smug grin.

Dr. Evans was shocked by this. “You have seen it?”

“I know where it is. My host is also a friend of the boy who possesses it. Do tell me; were you the one responsible for erasing his memories?”

Evens scoffed. “It had to be done. It was the only way to reverse the damage that Safiya did. As long as his memories are gone, though, my plan can continue.” Evans smiled at his staff, the cobra head sneering back at him.

“So do we have a deal?” Bakura asked, watching Seth with clever eyes.

Evans waved his staff and the three forgotten salamanders on the floor returned back to their human states. Each of the men looked bewildered and slightly sick.

“Take these men and use them how you will. Lure the girl and the Pharaoh to me and you shall have both the bracelet and the puzzle once I am done with them.”

“Done with them?” the thief pondered curiously.

Evans didn’t reply. The venomous sneer that curled his lips was answer enough.


	11. Chapter 11

10

The girl ran as fast as her legs would carry her down the dark hall. She had no idea what she was running from or where she was going. Heavy breaths echoed back from the pillars, deafening her already pounding ears. Her feet felt like lead and her lungs were about to burst, but still she ran on.

She turned a corner and stopped, panting, to avoid running into a large door bearing strange carvings. Before she even had time to blink, it swung open on its own, revealing a pitch black space beyond. Slowly, she stepped into the darkness. There was a quiet thud from the entrance as it sealed itself behind her.

A soft glow illuminated the far part of the room. At the end of a long hallway, the small pool of light gleamed off of a golden throne atop a small flight of stairs. Shadows danced around the edge of light and hid the corners of the room from view. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, the girl followed the long hall towards the faint beacon.

As she moved closer, one shadow broke away from the others to stand before the throne. It looked like the silhouette of a lean young man with hair standing sharp above his head. She froze in surprise like a mouse in the shadow of a hawk.

The light itself shone from a pendant around his neck. It resembled a small, upside down pyramid with a glowing eye staring from its center. She was sure she had seen something similar to it before, but his sudden movement startled her recollection.

The midnight cloaked figure was slowly descending the stairs. She forced herself to look away from the strange pendant and up at his face as he approached. In the overwhelming gloom, the only features that could be distinguished were his eyes, glittering in the pale illumination like brooding stars. There was an intense gaze on her but the expression it held was masked by the dark.

An aura of danger and power surrounded the figure, sending a shiver up her spine. The desire to fall to her knees and look away was overwhelming and seemed, somehow, appropriate.

At the bottom of the stairs, he stopped and regarded her curiously. Slowly, he raised his hand, beckoning the girl towards him. She took a hesitant step forward. She sensed he meant her no harm but was still wary in her trust for the shadowy figure.

Before she had a chance to make up her mind, the pendent around his neck started to glow brighter. The light intensified until the girl had to shield her eyes against its radiance. “Do not be afraid,” a deep and gentle voice said as the light grew into a blinding blaze.

...

Sadie jerked awake, hurtling off of the couch in her panic. A surprised Sanura leaped off the armrest and fled to the bedroom to hide. It took a few minutes for the girl to slow her heart and catch her breath. She wiped sweat from the back of her neck and thought back on the dream.

She had no doubts that the mysterious figure was the one that was casting the shadow in her previous visions, but why had she seen him that time. And something about the weird pendent was bugging her. She thought she had seen something like it before, but the memory wouldn’t come. The figure seemed vaguely familiar too, but she just couldn’t put her finger on that either. Eventually, she heaved herself off the floor and trudged into the bedroom, annoyed that she had gone another night without decent sleep.

Deciding to forget about the dream, she glanced at her alarm clock. It was just past seven. With a groan, she grabbed a clean uniform and shuffled to the bathroom to get ready for school.

...

It was still early when Sadie entered the school. Students and teachers alike were milling through the hallways, preparing and socializing before the first bell. Switching out her shoes and books, the girl shuffled past them towards homeroom.

A few students were already trickling into the class by the time Sadie sat at her desk. As she sorted through the supplies that had survived the rain, Bakura arrived and took his seat next to her.

“Good morning,” he greeted through a stifled yawn.

“Morning,” Sadie returned, noting the dark circles under his eyes. “Still not feeling well?”

“No I feeling fine, just didn’t sleep well last night,” he smiled blearily. “What about you? Nothing else strange happened, I hope.”

“Nah, I think I’ve seen the last of those guys,” she lied, unconsciously fiddling with the stuck bracelet through her jacket. Bakura’s green eyes narrowed slightly and studied her shrewdly. Fortunately, a loud and obnoxious Joey entered the room and claimed his attention before Sadie could become too uncomfortable under the intense gaze.

“Hey ya guys!” he called as he strolled over to join them, Yugi following a few paces behind.

“Hi,” Sadie smiled, trying to ignore the slightly annoyed look Bakura was shooting at their newly arrived friends. He was acting a bit off today.

“You’re here early,” Yugi noted. The innocent comment seemed to rub Bakura the wrong way, though.

“Well seeing as you two are always the ones running late,” he countered sharply.

The shorter boy flinched at the icy tone. “Well, uh, I just meant that we usually meet you by the gates is all.”

“Jeez, Bakura, what’s eatin’ you?” Joey barked, defending his friend from the uncalled for attack.

“Sorry,” the English boy suddenly blushed, glancing down at his desk in shame. “I’m just tired. I didn’t get much sleep last night and let my temper get the best of me. I didn’t mean to snap at you, Yugi.”

“It’s okay.” By the smile in her friend’s face, Sadie could guess that the insult was already forgotten.

“Just keep the sass inline until you take a nap, capiche?

Bakura nodded to Joey with an apologetic smile. “Will do.”

“We could always get some coffee after school,” Sadie offered. “I didn’t sleep well, either. I think I saw a nice café just a few blocks down.”

“Sounds like fun,” Joey enthused. “We’ll get everyone together and head down there. Great idea, Sadie.”

The girl glanced down to hide her pleased blush but the smile slipped from her face when a metallic glint caught her eye.

Before, she hadn’t gotten a good look at the pendant Yugi wore around his neck. Momentarily flashed back to her dream, Sadie’s eyes widened and the color drain from her cheeks as the eerie eye stared back at her. It was the same pendant from her dream but this time it was real.

Or this was another nightmare.

Yugi noticed Sadie’s shocked expression and felt concern rise in his chest as her face turned white. He put a hand on her shoulder, half afraid she would faint. She didn’t even respond when he felt her forehead for a fever.

“Sadie?” Yugi called desperately, waving his hand in front of her face. Joey and Bakura had been discussing the types of desserts served at the café but instantly stopped to throw worried glanced towards Yugi.

“What’s wrong with her?” Joey asked, while they all watched her, not sure what to do.

Sadie’s dream had come back in a flash, running down the small hallway, entering the throne room, and the dark figure with the glowing pyramid pendent. She gave a shiver when she realized the eye in her dream was the same one that was glowering at her from across the desk.

Frozen like a statue, she tried to collect her thoughts, unable to react to the hand on her shoulder or forehead. After a moment of recovery, she was able to raise her hand slowly and point at the distressing object. The boys around her visibly jumped at the sudden movement.

“I saw that in my dream last night.” she said, keeping her eyes glued to the pendant. Yugi glanced down and realized what she was referring to. He held it up in his hands.

“Oh, this is my Millennium Puzzle. My grandpa found it in Egypt and gave it to me to solve. It took me eight years to finish. I don’t know why you would dream about it though.” Yugi scratched his head, thinking. She just shook her head numbly in response, trying to get over her panic attack.

Sadie’s thoughts continued to race, though, and another disturbing recognition crossed her mind. The silhouette in her dream looked a lot like Yugi, but the more she thought on it, the less likely it seemed. His stature and voice were nothing like the shadow in her dream. Breathing slowly, she forced herself to calm down.

‘ _I knew the eye looked familiar. It’s Egyptian.’_ Sadie could have slapped herself for not recognizing the hieroglyphic symbol. _‘Maybe I’m just being paranoid.’_

“I probably just saw you wearing it yesterday then dreamt about it,” she supposed. It was quite possible but the reasoning did not help put her anxiety to rest.

Yugi looked like he was about to inquire more on her dream when the door opened and Mr. Vern walked into the room.

“Good morning class, Please take your seats,” he called as students scrambled about the room. With a final concerned glance, Yugi reluctantly trudged to his desk and the school day began.

 ... 

When the lunch bell finally rang, Sadie jumped from her seat and darted out into the hall, hoping no one would notice her disappearance. She hated sneaking around but she had some research to do. Besides, one freak out was more than her friends should have to deal with in a day.

It took her a while but, eventually, Sadie managed to find the school library all on her own. With a quick check at the catalog, she chose a few books that seemed promising but all turned into dead ends. With a huff she left the books on a reshelf cart and logged onto a nearby computer. Five minutes later, she was scrolling through the newspaper archives.

Frustration started getting the best of her after a while. While reading, strands of hair kept falling from her messy bun and into her face. With an annoyed tug on her clip, the mess of purple fell around her shoulders. Brushing it out of the way, she continued to read, still unable to find anything. But, just as she was about to give up hope, a small headline caught her eye.

 _‘Ancient Cursed Treasure Discovered in Nameless Pharaoh’s Tomb,’_ it announced. Sadie zoomed in on the small article and began reading.

...

_‘Earlier this week, a small team of archeologists uncovered the hidden tomb of a nameless Pharaoh long forgotten by time. It has been estimated to be approximately 5000 years old. The team discovered by accident and immediately set to work, taking four days to unbury the entrance from the sand._

_‘Two Egyptian workers and a volunteer archeologist, Solomon Muto, were the first to set foot inside. An unfortunate accident that followed killed the two Egyptian workers, Mr. Muto barely escaped._

_‘He later recounted that he and the other men had navigated their way safely through the tunnels and eventually found themselves in the main chamber. The only thing found within, though, was a small golden box. When about to depart, the other workers drew their guns and attempted to murder Mr. Muto, wanting the treasure for themselves. Leaving the box behind, he managed to get away with just a flesh wound and made his way back to the surface._

_‘Later on, after telling the other archeologists his tale, some went down to retrieve and arrest the greedy fiends. The men in question were found lifeless in the main chamber. No one was quite sure what caused it, there seemed to be no cause. One witness stated, “They just seemed scared to death.”_

_‘The rest of the tomb was searched, but nothing of interest, except the box, was found. Some of the archeologists suspected grave robbers. The only curious venture then was why the grave was sealed when it was found. Most of it still remains a mystery._

_‘The mysterious box was sent to a Museum to be studied. Inside, hundreds of pieces were contained. The scientists that were studying it suspected that it may have been some kind of puzzle or disassembled device. All attempts to reassemble the gadget failed._

_‘Strangely, the night after receiving the box for study, the scientists were all found dead. Many more were asked to examine it, but all that were involved with the strange box were found dead the next morning. It was too bizarre and frightening to be messed with anymore. In an attempt to be rid of the ‘Cursed Treasure’, the museum offered to return it to Mr. Muto, the man who originally found it._

_‘He agreed and returned with it to Japan, still leaving the scientists and archeologists stumped about the Cursed Treasure and the death that surrounded it. To this day, we may never know what it was about the box caused so much chaos and fear.’_

_..._

Sadie sat in a stunned silence, staring at the copied document illuminated on the screen. A picture attached to the side, slightly yellow and faded, viewed the image of the tomb’s entrance surrounded by the dedicated archeologists who had worked so hard to free it. An older man in the front in particular caught her eye.

He was standing near the front, displaying a yellow box riddled with hieroglyphics. Front and center, a classic Egyptian eye stared blankly through the screen at her. She shivered, trying not to remember her terrifying dream, and scrolled down to see the caption.

It read, _‘The entrance to the Nameless Pharaoh’s tomb. Solomon Muto holds ‘Cursed Treasure Box’ found within. Taken 1960.’_ Sadie realized that the old man must have been Yugi’s grandfather. She leaned closer and recognized the innocent eyes, trademark hair, and friendly smile.

Suddenly, the bell rang, ending lunch and cutting Sadie’s research short. With a sigh, she logged off the computer and grabbed her bag, wandering back towards her next class. She had found _what_ she had dreamt about but the _why_ was still a nagging mystery.

_Maybe I can find more answers at the museum._


	12. Chapter 12

11

The rest of the school day past by in a blur. When Sadie returned for her afternoon classes, Bakura was watching her curiously but his schedule had him moving rooms before he could ask any questions. It wasn’t until after school that Sadie finally had to explain her absence at lunch.

She was switching shoes at her locker when Miho suddenly appeared, catching her by surprise in a bone crushing hug.

“There you are!” she squealed in relief. “We didn’t see you at lunch!”

Sadie would have jumped out of her skin if Miho hadn’t been clinging so tightly to it. She relaxed enough to escape the embrace and coughed out her half-baked alibi. “Yeah, sorry. I had some homework I needed to do in the library.”

“Oh, okay,” Miho shrugged, finding nothing suspicious in Sadie’s nervous response. “Well everyone is heading to that café you were talking about. Let’s go before they leave without us!”

The purple haired girl starting tugging at her arm but Sadie dug her heels in and refused to budge. She’d forgotten about hanging out after school and started to panic. The girl needed to get to the museum but she didn’t want the others to get involved.

The sooner Sadie got the bracelet off without a fuss, the better.

Shaking her arm out of Miho’s grasp, Sadie gave a dramatic sigh. “Oh no, I forgot! I wish I could go but I have _so_ much homework I have to get done then I have to feed my cat and do my chores and that’s going to take all night. Guess today’s just not my day! You guys go ahead and enjoy yourselves and I’ll go next time!”

As she rambled, Sadie starting backing towards the front doors, trying to look as casual as possible under Miho’s confused gaze.

“Are you sure? I thought you finished your homework during lunch.”

Sadie flinched when she realized her story was sliding and a quick glance down the hall confirmed Yugi and the others on their way to rendezvous with Miho. If she was going to escape without an interrogation, it was now or never.

“I only got some of it done but there’s still so much to do and I need to get started,” she glanced at her watch and noted she had five minutes to catch the bus downtown, “right now! Sorrygottagobye!” In a rush, the burgundy headed girl fled through the door and took off at a dead sprint across the school grounds.

...

Yugi was a little worried about Sadie though ‘little’ was a bit of an understatement. First, she showed up late, looking like a zombie. Next, she told them about her strange dream that somehow involved the Millennium Puzzle. Then, she changed the subject before he could ask any more about it.

It wasn’t until her no-show at lunch time, though, that he truly became suspicious. Something was up and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

_Do you think it has something to do with those thieves yesterday?_ a voice in his head wondered.

“I sure hope not,” he whispered.

“Hey guys!” Miho’s cheerful greeting broke Yugi from him thoughts. “You ready to go?”

“Sure thing,” Joey nodded, “And Tristan said he’s buying.”

Before the brunette could object, Miho had pulled him into a tight hug. “That’s so nice of you, Tristan!”

“Yeah, no problem,” Tristan stuttered out, his face burning red as he shot Joey a dirty look.

“Alright that’s enough, are we going or what?” Tea interrupted, leading the way towards the doors. The others turned to follow but Yugi paused as they passed the lockers.

“Hey Miho,” he called, trying his best to scan the crowd with his short stature. “Wasn’t Sadie here a minute ago? We saw you talking with her from down the hall.”

“Oh yeah! She was here but she had to go home. Something about having homework.”

“Homework?” the others echoed.

“And some other chores,” the girl added, “She said we should go have fun and she would have to go next time.”

“That’s a bit strange, don’t you think?” Bakura interjected thoughtfully. “I mean, we did all agree that no one should wander off on their own. What if those thieves are still lurking around?”

“He’s right,” Yugi agreed nervously. “Sadie’s been acting strange today. We should make sure she gets home alright.”

Everyone nodded and hurried outside, following the sidewalk past the gate and down the street. When they turned the corner, though, they all screeched to a halt. Standing across was their friend in question, fidgeting with her watch as she watched the road expectantly. The group backpedaled out of sight and discreetly peered around the corner to watch.

“What is she doing?” Joey whispered despite how far away they were.

“Looks like she’s waiting for the bus,” Bakura answered in a normal volume.

Joey rolled his eyes. “Nah, ya think?”

Tea checked the time on her watch. “I think that’s the bus that goes downtown. I thought she was going home.”

“That’s what she told me,” Miho pouted, not happy about being lied to. Tristan patted her arm sympathetically.

“I don’t like this,” Yugi muttered, more to himself than the group.

_I don’t either_ , the voice agreed solemnly. _We should follow and see what she’s doing._

Yugi nodded to himself and stood, stepping from behind the wall. The others panicked and reached to tug him out of view but only succeeded in losing their balance and tumbling onto each other in a tangle of arms and legs. Yugi sighed in embarrassment and started for the bus stop.  

“Where you going, Yug?” Joey asked, attempting to free himself of the dog pile.

“I’m going to go talk to her. You guys wait here.”

Tea sat up suddenly, shoving Tristan off her legs. “I’ll come too!”

“No wait!” Miho shrieked, throwing herself over Tea’s lap to keep her pinned. “If you go too, Sadie will know we all followed her and Miho will look like a bad friend!”

Tristan struggled to escape Joey’s legs weighing on his back as he added, “Miho’s right. I don’t think Sadie would be happy knowing we all were following her around like a bunch of creeps.”

“Who are you calling a creep?” the blond snapped, flailing his legs and almost kicking Tea and Miho. “We’re just trying to help. What if those thieves come back and try to start something?”

Flattened underneath everyone else, Bakura let out a weary sigh as he waiting patiently for the others to let him up. “Something tells me she’d be safer with them.”

...

_What is taking so long?_ Sadie thought as she stared at her watch. The bus was only a minute late but she was antsy. Or maybe guilty was the right word. She hated lying to Miho but it was the only way she could keep the others out of the bracelet business.

_Once I get this bracelet off, there won’t be any more trouble and I won’t have to lie anymore._

Just as she saw the bus turn the corner, a familiar voice spoke from behind her.

“Hey, Sadie.”

The girl jumped and spun around. Yugi had suddenly appeared next to her, his expression serious and almost hurtful as he watched her with troubled, purple eyes.

“Oh, hey Yugi,” Sadie greeted, trying to sound as casual as possible. The boy’s frown deepened.

“You okay?”

Sadie forced a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just have a few errands to run before I head home. Sorry I couldn’t go to the café. Did everyone else already go?”

It was Yugi’s turn to be nervous. He chuckled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly and hoping the others weren’t still lurking across the street. “Uh yeah, I told them to go ahead.”

With a loud screech, the bus pulled to a stop and swung open its doors. Sadie repressed her urge to sigh in relief.

“Well, guess I better get going,” the girl said before jumping up the stairs and paying her fare. “Cya later.”

Yugi, though, wasn’t giving up so easily.

“You don’t mind if I keep you company, do you?” he asked, following her onto the bus and paying for his own ticket.

Sadie tried her best to look calm while fighting down guilt and panic. “I don’t know. I have a lot to do and it’ll probably be boring.”

“I don’t mind,” Yugi smiled, leading the way to a pair of seats near the back. “I can help out, if you want. It would get everything done faster.”

“You don’t have to do that. Really. I can take care of it. Besides, the others are probably waiting for you at the café. You should go have fun with them.”

Yugi’s expression suddenly turned more serious than Sadie had ever remembered seeing him. Well except for his strange personality change at the apartments but this was different. It wasn’t angry and it was still Yugi. He just looked concerned and a bit sad.

“You know, if there’s something bothering you, you could tell me right? That’s what friends are for. I’m here to help, I _want_ to help you, but you have to tell me what’s wrong.”

Sadie stared at him for a minute, feeling exposed and guilty. Yugi knew she was hiding something and it was making her secret harder to keep. If she continued, he might think she didn’t trust him and lose his friendship but if she told, he would get dragged into her mess and she couldn’t stand him or any of her other friends getting hurt because of her. She weighted her options, feeling Yugi’s eyes watching her somberly while she made her choice.

“Promise you won’t get mad?” she finally whispered, clutching her bag so tight, her knuckles turned white.

Yugi gave a curt nod. “I promise.”

“Remember when those thieves chased me down?” she asked, releasing her backpack long enough to set it on the empty seat next to her.

Yugi’s eyes narrowed a bit. “Yes,” he answered stiffly, a bit of anger cutting the word blunt.

“Well I know what they were after,” Sadie admitted as she shrugged her jacket off. “At the museum, one of the things they were trying to steal fell into my bag. I didn’t know it was in there until they tracked me down and tried to take it back. Right before you and Joey showed up, it started glowing and latched onto me.”

Sadie unbuttoned the cuff of her left sleeve and rolled it up slowly, revealing the golden bracelet sparkling smugly around her upper arm. “And now it won’t come off.”


End file.
